The Re-engineered You

In light of recent politics, what even is a ‘responsible gun owner’? Who should be allowed to carry? And what are the steps to packing heat, legally?

Joe has carried a concealed weapon for nearly two decades over the course of his career in private security and private investigations. Todd learned to shoot in the Army, and hasn’t touched a gun since. Today, they discuss what it means to be a responsible gun owner. Especially in an era of rising violence, political tensions, and mass shootings. They talk about the actual stats behind burglaries and violent crimes (as opposed to what the news reports) as well as the #1 unspoken statistic about gun ownership. Who is a gun owner more likely to shoot? A criminal, or themselves?

Todd also shares his experiences getting licensed, and what it feels like for a political ‘moderate’ to sit through several hours of scare tactics to get his paper signed. Then we talk about the potency of “fear marketing” and why a responsible gun owner should hypothetically never need to draw their weapon, especially if they’ve taken de-escalation classes to complement their firearms training.

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode briefly touches on the subjects of suicide and self-harm, as it relates to the questions and statistics any responsible gun owner should ask themselves before getting licensed. If you’re sensitive to these subjects, please skip this episode.

Links:

https://bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/ascii/vdhb.txt

https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2020/06/handgun-ownership-associated-with-much-higher-suicide-risk.html

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/magazine/guns-and-suicide/

https://www.wptv.com/news/local-news/water-cooler/father-of-4-killed-at-missouri-sports-bar-after-fight-over-dogs-weight

Did you know that Louisville had a prank “Purge” that lasted 10 hours? Or that the Truman Show became a real psychological delusion? Today we ask; how much does Hollywood shape our expectations, really?

Back in 2014, someone on Twitter advertised a “Purge” in Louisville Kentucky. It should have been a joke that died as quickly as it started. But people took it seriously. Seriously enough that it cost Louisville revenue, spawned dozens of articles across the country, and ended with thousands of people staying indoors, monitoring police scanners and the “Louisville Purge Megathread.”

Of course, there was no purge. But we allow Hollywood to shape our day-to-day expectations...even ridiculous expectations, like a city-wide free-for-all crime wave. We take cues about love from romantic comedies. We judge our houses and apartments against the apartments we see on Friends or Sex in the City. We even base our family structure on television families. Today, we ask the question; how realistic are our Hollywood expectations?

History Links:

https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/the-louisville-purge-hoax

https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2014/08/16/aftermath-louisville-purge/14169789/

https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/90135/how-its-wonderful-life-went-box-office-dud-accidental-christmas-tradition

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/09/we-expect-way-too-much-from-our-romantic-partners/541353/

https://www.yesmagazine.org/health-happiness/2013/12/28/the-ancient-greeks-6-words-for-love-and-why-knowing-them-can-change-your-life/

Science Links:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/in-excess/201608/the-truman-show-delusion

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/its-nagging-repetition-effective-communication-marton-jojarth#:~:text=Advertising%2C%20Marketing%2C%20and%20the%20Rule%20of%207&text=The%20most%20famous%20is%20probably,Advertising%2C%20written%20by%20Thomas%20Smith.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/21/friends-debut-anniversary-how-much-is-monicas-apartment-worth-now.html#:~:text=An%20apartment%20of%20the%20same,works%20in%20the%20West%20Village.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/blogs/spaces/infographic-much-simpsons-house-worth-212450921.html?ref=gs#:~:text=Being%20diehard%20fans%20of%20the,home%20would%20be%20worth%20%24289%2C060

We live our whole life with our biggest flaws on display. Why does no one point them out? Why are people predisposed to “stay mum” about our failings?

Marie Antionette may have never actually uttered the phrase “Let them eat cake” but she sure as hell didn’t hide the fact that she was spending French money to build an expensive play-village on palace grounds, all so she could LARP as silk-wearing peasants with her friends . Meanwhile, the real peasants of France were dying, crushed under an unfair tax system her husband had supported. So why didn’t anyone tell Marie that building an opulent “village” was basically courting the worst kind of optics?

Today, Todd and Joe discuss the ‘MUM Effect’ - a little-known study in the field of Self Awareness that basically explains why nobody bothers to correct our character flaws. A few minutes of advice from a qualified social mirror could save us years of heartache and bad optics, yet nobody speaks up. We also harken back to old episodes about mentors, and why Lyndon B Johnson took criticism on public speaking from his wife. Lastly, we talk about finding our own “mirrors” and discuss the qualifications a mirror should have, especially before we allow them to point out our biggest flaws.

History Links:

https://alphahistory.com/frenchrevolution/taxation/#Tax_farmers

https://www.historyextra.com/period/georgian/marie-antoinette-facts-life-death-cake-buried/

https://www.thevintagenews.com/2016/08/31/priority-queens-hamlet-peek-inside-marie-antoinettes-fairy-tale-rustic-village-versailles-loved-act-like-simple-peasant/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBn7iWzrKoI&ab_channel=TED-Ed

Science Links:

https://thedecisionlab.com/reference-guide/sociology/the-mum-effect

https://www.jstor.org/stable/2786156

https://psychology.iresearchnet.com/social-psychology/social-cognition/mum-effect/

Exercising, making wise financial decisions, and public speaking, will each improve your overall quality of life. But only public speaking is listed as a Top Fear across demographics. Why is that?

Glossophobia is the fear of public speaking, and it affects up to 75% of the population. Which is odd when you think about it, because it’s one of the few skills you’re guaranteed to need at some point. On this episode we talk about how much speaking skills play into your success and financial wellbeing (think: job and college interviews) and we share our painful public speaking pitfalls and experiences. Then we talk about real, actionable techniques to help improve your skills, and where to go to put in those crucial public speaking hours. Lastly, we explore the workplace phenomenon where nobody wants to speak up to improve things, even though there’s a suggestion box...and an email...and an official go-between.

History Links:

https://visme.co/blog/amazing-leaders-who-once-had-crippling-stage-fright-and-how-they-overcame-

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/famous-celebrities-who-overcame-fear-speaking-dave-crane/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2018/01/03/to-communicate-well-listen-first/#4c2e532232a9

https://www.toastmasters.org/

Science Links:

https://www.psycom.net/glossophobia-fear-of-public-speaking

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/smashing-the-brainblocks/201711/why-are-we-scared-public-speaking

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/enlightened-living/201412/why-we-care-about-what-other-people-think-us

https://hbr.org/2007/05/why-employees-are-afraid-to-speak https://www.powerofpositivity.com/sociologists-explain-8-ways-help-shy-person-come-shell/

America modeled itself after Rome, and now we’re driving off the same cliff. It all has to do with housing and property. 

Joe has a housing story unlike any we’ve covered before. In the first half of this episode we talk about ancient Rome’s “Latifundia” or “Great Estates” and explore why Pliney the Elder blamed the destruction of Rome on senators and merchants who gobbled up all the land, turning an empire of “free peasants” or middle-class into starving renters. Late-stage Rome even had a socialist safety net that sounds eerily familiar. For workers living in the city who couldn’t afford rent, a government assistance program was started in Rome, called the Grain Dole.

After a brief primer on Roman history, we get to the meat of our episode today: the investment companies who are buying up all the starter homes in America. These aren’t the rental prope

For Biggest Losers who manage to shed the pounds, the battle should be over. But it’s not. In fact 98% of obese dieters gain the weight back, and today we’ll explain why.

Show Notes:

The Biggest Loser has turned into one of the Biggest Hits of reality TV. But, surprisingly, it’s also turned into a wealth of data about obesity and weight loss. Today we talk about the health study that came out after Biggest Loser Season 8. A study that cracked the case on why Biggest Loser contestants, almost without exception, gain the weight back after the show despite having every incentive to keep the pounds off.

We’ll also talk briefly about our own weight loss journeys. We’ll cover why obesity is now being categorized as an “Incurable Disease.” We’ll look into online hate groups and explore why “Fat Shaming” is counter-productive, and in fact can lead to over-eating. And we’ll ask the million-dollar question: for the 2% of obese dieters who manage to keep the pounds off, what are they doing differently?

History Links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5j0LIRmgT_M

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Biggest_Loser_(season_2)

https://healthyeater.com/biggest-loser-then-now

Science Links:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/aug/11/obesity-incurable-disease-cameron-punishing-sufferers

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/02/health/biggest-loser-weight-loss.html

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/fat-shaming-makes-things-worse

https://labblog.uofmhealth.org/body-work/fat-shaming-wont-solve-obesity-science-might

https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/27593253/why-grandmasters-magnus-carlsen-fabiano-caruana-lose-weight-playing-chess https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/26-evidence-based-weight-loss-tips#section1

https://www.vox.com/2018/9/4/17486110/metabolism-diet-fast-weight-loss

Never meet your heroes…or so the old wisdom tells us. But which heroes? Celebrities? CEO’s? Mentors? Is there a hero scale?

On today’s episode Todd and Joe share their stories of youthful hero worship, and of eventually meeting those heroes. One is a positive, uplifting story about meeting an American Gladiator and fitness model…and asking her to pose for a highschool calendar. The other is a story of meeting a New York Times bestselling author when he was on top of the world, then watching him get canceled in national news for anti-homosexual rhetoric. Todd and Joe then compare notes, and try to answer the question: should you really meet your hero?

In the second half of the show, we talk about small, local heroes. Heroes with a lowercase “h” who nonetheless deserve our respect. We briefly mention the statistics of mentoring, and how profoundly it changes lives at every stage - highschool, college, and career. We talk about volunteering and non-profit work. And we discuss the unspoken barrier that keeps regular folk like us from becoming heroes: time management.

Perhaps it’s better to look up to small heroes? Or, even better, perhaps we should all become small heroes.

Links: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pa8P25fe2as&t=534s&ab_channel=VintageAmazonia

https://guider-ai.com/blog/mentoring-statistics-the-research-you-need-to-know/ 

https://www.boredpanda.com/worst-celebrity-meeting-stories/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic

In part 2 we discuss rejection in dating. Specifically, how rejection has become a facet of the industry, and of incel culture.

In part 2 of rejection, we’re delving deep into the science of dating. First we’ll talk about how reonline dating websites, and we’ll find out; just how much rejection is going on behind those screens? Finally, we get to the juicy science behind the genders; who takes online rejection hardest, men or women? And what does it take to push a serial-rejected man, AKA an incel, into going on a killing spree?silient love used to be, with a quaint story about a love-struck sheep farmer in the early 1900’s who just didn’t know when to quit. Then we’ll get into the industry, and the profits, of the biggest
Rejection Part 2:

History Links:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/review-of-ladys-choice-ethel-waxhams-journals-and-letters-1905-1910-homesteading-a-montana-family-album-147486481/
https://ladiesindefiance.com/tag/ethel-waxham-love-letter/
https://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/program/episodes/eight/psilikeyou.htm
https://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/program/episodes/eight/iwillnever.htm

Science Links:
https://www.eharmony.co.uk/dating-advice/start-with-you/dealing-with-dating-rejection
https://medium.com/@worstonlinedater/tinder-experiments-ii-guys-unless-you-are-really-hot-you-are-probably-better-off-not-wasting-your-2ddf370a6e9a
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/05/150512112449.htm
https://www.psypost.org/2019/04/study-provides-new-insights-into-why-some-men-behave-aggressively-toward-women-who-reject-them-53592
https://news.stanford.edu/2019/08/21/online-dating-popular-way-u-s-couples-meet/#:~:text=Rosenfeld%2C%20a%20lead%20author%20on,to%2022%20percent%20in%202009.
https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2016/08/tinder-self-esteem#:~:text=DENVER%20%E2%80%94%20Whether%20they're%20swiping,annual%20convention%20of%20the%20American
https://www.businessofapps.com/data/tinder-statistics/

In part 1 of this Rejection double-feature, we talk about Jia Jiang’s TED talk, and we ask ourselves; can we really become resilient to rejection.

In part 1 of rejection, we want to get to the bottom of Jia Jiang’s stirring 2015 TED talk, where he talks about setting out to be rejected 100 times in 100 days. Then Todd and Joe ask; can we make ourselves resilient to rejection? After all, “Resilience” is listed as the number one predictor of success in today’s job market. Is resilience something you’re born with? Or can you train for it, like running up rejection steps? Lastly, we’ll get into the science of rejection and uncover why it hurts so much, why rejection was vital to ancient civilization, and what over-the-counter pill you can take to actually soften the blow of rejection!

Rejection Part 1:

History Links:
https://www.ted.com/talks/jia_jiang_what_i_learned_from_100_days_of_rejection?language=en

Science Links:
https://ideas.ted.com/why-rejection-hurts-so-much-and-what-to-do-about-it/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXGsIgg_u88
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-squeaky-wheel/201307/10-surprising-facts-about-rejection
https://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/04/rejection
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/social-analgesics/
https://www.inc.com/mareo-mccracken/the-best-way-to-deal-with-rejection-according-to-science.html
https://www.affective-science.org/pubs/2015/kashdan-et-all-unpacking-emotion-differentiation-2015.pdf?version=meter+at+7&module=meter-Links&pgtype=article&contentId=&mediaId=&referrer=&priority=true&action=click&contentCollection=meter-links-click

Put up your dukes! Because today we’re talking about the science of fighting, how humans were evolution-built to bust heads, and a few practical time-honored tips to win a streetfight.

The strangest, most awkward, and most shameful fight in modern history, might have also been the most formative in the world of organized sports, and very nearly cost Muhammad Ali his boxing career. That’s right, today we’re talking about the “War of the Worlds” fight that occurred in Japan in 1976, where a wrestler tried to butt-scoot and spam-kick his way to victory against Muhammad Ali.

And when we’re not busy laughing about the awkward match between Ali and Inoki, we’ll talk about the practical side of boxing and martial arts, the evolution of the human hand for punching, and why it seems like kids are getting weaker with every generation. And if you stick around to the end, we’ll reveal which parts of the US it’s legal to engage in “mutual combat”...with a lot of warnings and caveats.

History Links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wzm2qveUi54
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Ali_vs._Antonio_Inoki#Rounds_11%E2%80%9315

Science Links:
https://jeb.biologists.org/content/218/20/3215
https://www.livescience.com/46216-male-faces-evolved-for-fighting.html
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/phenomena/2014/06/10/our-skulls-didnt-evolve-to-be-punched/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-domestication
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/12/early-humans-domesticated-themselves-new-genetic-evidence-suggests
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/exercise.htm
https://www.wikihow.com/Win-a-Fight-in-Under-30-Seconds